Party bigwigs emphasise furthering détente between Nepal-India

KATHMANDU: Party bigwigs on Monday stressed to revive the strained relations with India through diplomatic means.

At an interaction programme coinciding with Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s preparation for a state visit to India, speakers said it was high time the government resumed the stalled dialogue process for substantive outcome.

Nepal Sadbhawana Party leader Laxman Lal Karna accused the major parties for forcing the constitution’s promulgation and the recent amendment. He hauled allegations on the three major parties of trying to disrupt the negotiations by resorting to suppression of the demonstrations in Itahari, Birgunj and Biratnagar among other places in the Tarai-Madhes despite the agitation side’s inclination to continue the dialogue.

Leader Karna accused the government of remaining under the grip of the “mafia” resulting in the mishandling in supply of commodities although all the transit routes with India have become fully operational except the Birgunj trade point.

As the government is reluctant to heed to the demands, Karna said the United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) would form a mega alliance to announce the follow-up agitation programmes.

At the programme, Nepali Congress leader Dr Narayan Khadka said the PM’s visit to India at such a sensitive juncture would help resolve the deadlock between the two countries.

Khadka said the slogan of ‘Madhes two Pradesh’ which contravenes with country’s geographical fact is not applicable. He also accused the government of failing to play an effective role to curtail flourishing black market trading, anarchy and corruption.

Pradeep Gyawali, a leader of the ruling party CPN-UML, said the undeclared blockade imposed by the Indian government over dissatisfaction with Nepal’s Constitution would ultimately stain India’s image in the international community and added the leaders were effortful in reviving the dampened relations between the two countries.

He said the mutual relations between the Tarai, hill and mountainous region should not be broken over the issue of delineation of the provincial borders and urged the Madhes-centric parties to be more responsible to seek solution through negotiations.

UCPN-Maoist leader Janardhan Sharma called for resumption of negotiations with the agitating parties by upholding the interest of the country and people. Sharma emphasised the programmes of economic development to speed up the reconstruction in the aftermath of the massive earthquake.

He remarked that the government ought to spotlight the national security issue, and form a national government taking in Nepali Congress also.